"This is enough… it's time to act."
The voice echoed inside Alexs's mind—clear, firm—born from the critical magic that had awakened when he stood at the edge of death.
A sharp pain tore through his head, but this time, he did not retreat.
Gritting his teeth, he channeled his magic and materialized a diamond sword, strikingly similar to Mayuri's. A groan escaped his lips as the voice screamed once more within his mind, demanding more… always more.
Even so, his eyes sharpened.
For the first time, he began to see clearly.
He observed Mayuri's movements with absolute focus, analyzing every step, every gesture, every crystalline formation. Her techniques were formidable—nearly perfect… nearly. Beneath the layers of crystal, he detected tiny fractures, weak points that could only be exploited with flawless precision.
The courtyard of Shadowfall Castle trembled with pure energy. The battle had ceased to be mere training and transformed into a deadly dance, where a single mistake meant defeat.
With Echo of Memory active, Alexs moved with an agility that even surprised Mayuri. His motions were fluid, calculated; each gesture accompanied by arcane murmurs that imitated, adapted, and reconstructed the techniques he had witnessed.
Mayuri responded with renewed ferocity. Her crystallization magic erupted into complex formations—lances, swords, barriers, and projectiles forming at terrifying speed. Every command she spoke resonated through the air, and the crystals obeyed without hesitation.
The exchange turned brutal.
Amethyst projectiles flew toward Alexs, aiming to cut, pierce, or crush him. He answered with ingenuity—deflecting them with gusts of wind, erecting temporary barriers, or forcing the attacks to miss by mere centimeters.
Then, he took a risk.
Focusing his magic, he replicated one of Mayuri's defensive techniques. A crystal barrier formed in front of him. It was imperfect—shaking, cracking… but it was enough to deflect a direct hit.
Mayuri frowned.
—Is he… copying my techniques? —she murmured in disbelief.
Annoyed, she increased the intensity of her assault, determined to prove that an imitation could never surpass the original.
---
—Remarkable… —Slyther commented as he watched the fight—. I didn't think it would work, but your tactic was flawless, Celes.
—I know, I'm amazing —she replied with a grin—. Huh? Wait… what tactic?
Andras looked at her in silence.
—Pretending something happened between you and Alexs to provoke Mayuri's anger and force the awakening of his critical magic.
Celes's face went pale.
—W-wait… that actually worked?
—It seems so —Andras replied, worried—. Alexs is in serious danger.
---
Alexs felt like his head was about to split apart. Every copied skill came with stabbing pain, as if his mind were slowly tearing itself apart.
But he felt something else as well.
I'm adapting…
His movements grew more confident. His reactions, faster. Echo of Memory didn't just copy techniques—it refined them, combined them.
The battle became frantic. Crystal, wind, fire, and raw magical energy collided in controlled chaos, tearing the courtyard apart.
Celes watched with her heart clenched, seeing determination reflected in every one of Alexs's movements.
The sun slowly began to set, casting long shadows across the battlefield. For them, however, time seemed frozen.
Then it happened.
Alexs saw the opening.
He deflected one of Mayuri's attacks with precise movement and counterattacked, forming a diamond spear—but this time, he combined two different techniques, something even Mayuri had never attempted before.
She reacted instantly, raising an obsidian shield.
The impact was brutal.
The barrier cracked, forcing her to stagger back several steps.
Alexs did not hesitate.
Reciting a rapid chant, he channeled Echo of Memory once more. Green emeralds erupted from the ground, intertwining into a crystalline net that shot toward Mayuri, trapping her and restricting her movements.
—An amethyst orb… and an emerald binding net? —she thought in disbelief—. How… how did he replicate spells I never even used against him?
The final spell formed in Alexs's hands, amplified by Echo of Memory, shining with blinding intensity.
Mayuri closed her eyes.
The impact came.
Light engulfed the courtyard… then slowly faded.
Silence.
Alexs gasped for air before collapsing, completely drained of mana. The burden of replicating critical magic was too great. His body fell unconscious to the ground.
Mayuri, still standing, surveyed the devastated battlefield before slowly turning toward Celes, unable to hide her astonishment.
The battle was over.
Among the rubble, exhaustion, and visible scars, the result was undeniable.
Alexs had awakened Echo of Memory…
and with it, proved that even the impossible could be overcome.